AIR & SPACE MAGAZINE

Scenes from the World Air Games in Dubai

This year’s competition drew everything from model airplanes to balloons.

Dubai 6 Breitling wingwalkers.jpg
Breitling wingwalkers perform over the resort hotels on Dubai's Palm Islands.

Part airshow and part aerial Olympics, the World Air Games held this month in Dubai featured some two dozen events, from parachuting to ballooning to aeromodeling. This fourth Games organized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale drew 875 competitors from 55 countries, with the United States and France taking home the most medals.

Here are a few snapshots from the Games, with flying vehicles of all sorts set against the desert backdrop.

/
In the parallel fender rigging event, helicopter pilots race against time and each other to drop boat fenders in containers.
/
On the final day of the Games, balloon pilots flew from The World Islands to the Skydive Dubai Palm Dropzone.
/
More than 30 pilots competed in the Gyrocopter category.
/
The Hungarian Veres Zoltán team performs during the December 5 air show.
/
Foot dragging in the water during the paramotoring event.
/
Ballooning over the Palm Islands.
/
Hot air airships over Dubai.
/
A glider eases past one of the city's many skyscrapers.

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

Tony Reichhardt is a senior editor at Air & Space.